Due to the nature of students coming in and out of Athens every year, bands typically do not last more than a few years in the local music scene. Because of this, new music artists have difficulty establishing themselves for more than a relatively short period of time.
This is not the case for Caitlin Kraus. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, she began playing piano around first grade and transitioned to guitar in sixth. Kraus planted her musical roots in Athens early on in the late 2000s while getting her bachelor's degree in music therapy. During that time, she began performing at open mic nights at Donkey Coffee.
Pulling inspiration from bands such as The Beatles, Neil Young and Nick Cave, Kraus transcends genres from folk to rock. According to Kraus, it is hard to pin down exactly what kind of music she creates.
“I generally say it's sort of alternative folk, alternative rock,” Kraus said. “More of a rock edge when it's with the full band, and less of a rock edge more of a folk singer-songwriter when it's just me.”
To date, Kraus has released two full-length albums, “What Rises” in 2020 and “Gone Beyond” in 2023. However, she released her first two singles, “Dead Man” and “Waiting for the World” in 2016. The singles were recorded in Austin, Texas, where she lived at the time.
The entirety of “Gone Beyond” and the majority of her debut album were recorded at Peachfork Studios in Pomeroy, Ohio. Bernie Nau, Peachfork owner and producer, said he has enjoyed both times working with Kraus.
“I think her songwriting is timeless,” Nau said in an email. “Her lyrics create vivid images, her melodies combine with the words beautifully. And it is all underpinned by interesting chord progressions.”
John Borchard, Kraus’ guitarist and pedal steel player, said initially working with her was a new process for him as he had mostly only done covers in his musical career.
“When I first started recording with her, she wasn't using any of us except for Mark Hellenberg, and so it took a while,” Borchard said. “I had to go back and relearn all the parts once she wanted to use the whole band, and now we've played enough that I'm pretty (good) with the stuff we've done.”
Kraus said her process for writing music is not forced, but she also does not wait for inspiration to hit.
“Keep creating,” she said. “And by that, I don't mean that you have to necessarily have a consistent output, that every single day you have to be making something.”
Kraus emphasizes practicing the process of songwriting contributing to her growth.
“Even if it is just writing for the sake of writing or playing for the sake of playing, sometimes it's not about the product,“ Kraus said. "It's just about the process of it.”
Aside from her work in performing and recording music, Kraus has worked with Counseling and Psychological Services as a counselor since September 2022. Before that, she had worked in various music therapy positions. She said she thinks music connects people on a more interpersonal level than just talking.
“Most people have some connection to music,” Kraus said. “I think music can be a way that we connect to our feelings, to our emotions (and) to each other, that doesn't always require the same type of processing that conventional talk therapy does.”
